Instagram post falsely claims there was a plane crash at Gatwick Airport

15 September 2020
What was claimed

Three people have been killed and 127 injured in a plane crash at Gatwick Airport on Wednesday.

Our verdict

This has not happened.

A post on Instagram has claimed that a plane crash at Gatwick Airport on Wednesday killed three people and injured 127.

This is not the case. There have been no reported plane crashes at Gatwick or any other UK airport in recent days or months.

The post claims this information is from “the English Minister of Health”. The Secretary of State for health and social care, Matt Hancock, has said nothing of the sort.

The post uses an image of an Emirates aircraft which has clearly been edited into a picture of homes in the UK. The composite image does not seem to appear anywhere else online. The account which posted the image, called “Fatal News” has an edited version of the BBC News logo as its display picture.

You can read more here about how to spot misleading images online.

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